


Yeah, Sure...Paradise// The Pacific Fanfiction

by chaotic_billygoat13



Category: The Pacific (TV)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-06
Updated: 2019-07-23
Packaged: 2019-10-04 12:50:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17304956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaotic_billygoat13/pseuds/chaotic_billygoat13
Summary: A secret military service, made up completely of women, is dropped off in the South Pacific to fight  the Japanese Military during World War II. They fight strategically and mercilessly until they're called off the island before they get separated from their Lieutenant, June Foster. From there, June has to steer clear of the Japs, find some American military friends, get off the island and back to her girls waiting for her in Australia.Keep reading to find out about her adventures of running into the marines.





	1. We Need More Folks

**Author's Note:**

> Name: June Ruth Foster  
> DOB: February 14th, 1915  
> Hometown: San Francisco, California  
> Family::  
> Mother: Margaret Foster  
> Father: Robert Foster  
> H/C: Black  
> E/C: light-shining-through-a-whisky-glass brown  
> Height: 5'4"  
> Weight: 110 lbs  
> Physique: slim, but muscular
> 
> Enjoys reading and writing, wanted to study literature, but joined military instead. Is very playful, but can get serious in a blink of the eye. Struggled with insomnia as a child, but it got better in her teens and early adult hood. Was top of her class in weapons training, parachute training, ship training and combat training. Started training for the military service towards the end of World War I. 
> 
> ~
> 
> The secret Military service compiled of all women was put together during World War I, but didn't get called to action until the first war was over. It was first given the name of The Secret National Guard (SNG), but anyone who knows had given them the nickname of The Howling Eagles, relating back to the horn blown before a battle, a scare tactic used to win many disputes. Similar to that of vikings. Wasn't used much in the Pacific Theater of WWII, but during their campaigns in the Interwar period it was widely popular and entertaining to the soldiers.

**June's POV**

~

The base was quiet, there was no action anywhere. I sat partially alone on one of our trucks, Sergeant Veronica Stewart was underneath it trying to fix one of the axles that broke on one of our scout training sessions. The road was dicier than  we had thought and hit a pothole- dead on. We managed to pull it back to our base out in the middle of Arizona, location partially unknown. 

"I think we may need a new truck." Veronica mentioned from below me. I sat on top of the cab, my leather-wrapped notebook on my lap with my pencil in my hair. 

"We're under funded, V. We couldn't afford it if we wanted to." I reminded her, taking the pencil out from behind my ear and opening my notebook to the next empty page. 

_**"June 12th, 1942,** _

_**Brutality Force Base, Arizona** _

_**Location: Unknown** _

_**5:57 p.m.** _

 

_**One of our trucks broke earlier today in a scout training session. Veronica has begun to try and fix it. No progress so far. Excited for dinner tonight, though. Spaghetti and Apple Pie.** _

_**Signed,** _

_**Lieutenant June Foster."** _

I signed my name before closing the book and returning the pencil to my ear. I let my head fall back until it hit the metal bar of the back of the truck, letting out a groan. 

'What do you have to groan about?!" Veronica called from beneath the truck. 

"I want food, but dinner is only served at 6." I complained, knowing it would get on her nerves. 

"Seriously!? I'm down here trying to fix this fucking truck and you're complaining about dinner?!" She yelled at me, coming out from under the truck, a swipe of grease across  her cheek. 

"You know I was only bugging you." I told her, sitting up and sliding down the windshield and jumping off the front end of the truck. 

"You're always just bugging me, June." Veronica stated, setting her tools on the step to the cab and standing up. 

"And you love it." I said with a over confident tone and smile. Only for Veronica to roll her eyes at me, like she usually does. Although she was only a Sergeant, Veronica was more than her title. Noble, loyal and faithful. All good things to have in a fighter and squad leader, but most importantly, a sister. She was someone you could fight for, and she'd be there fighting for you in return. She was my most trusted officer in my company. 

Everyone was close in this militia, which can also be dangerous in a war like the one going on right now. We were told not  to get to close and attached to our trench mates, but like usual, we didn't listen. But does anyone listen to that in the military? The countless cases of depression within the military because the men got too close and then lost friends is almost outstanding, but also rather tragic. It often wasn't released to the public, but being a secret military service, we knew practically everything about the  other details in the military. We knew the missions of the air force; the destinations and times of arrival of the marines; the invasions of the army. We knew everything in case the president decided to send us in to  help, but never make contact with the army, marines or air force- which ever our mission was. 

"Lieutenant! Sergeant! Director Ross is coming tonight for dinner!" Private Tana Banes called to us as we approached the mess hall. Veronica looked down at her watch as horror flooded her expression. 

"Shit! Dinner starts in two minutes!" she exclaimed before the three of us ran to the mess hall where Director Ross already stood in the middle of, the rest of the girls standing at attention. We stood at the door in attention, my hand raised in a salute. 

"At ease, ladies." Ross said calmly. I lowered my hand and stood at ease. Director Ross was our boss. She verified most of the orders we get from President Roosevelt or the vice president. Although Ross wasn't her real name, no one asked what her real identity was. All we cared about was that she kept us safe and gave us all jobs. 

"Lieutenant Foster. I've been told one of our trucks is broken." She mentioned first. I turned to face her, my hands clasped behind me back. 

"Yes, ma'am. Rear axle has some difficulties. Sergeant Stewart has been trying to fix it all afternoon." I informed, my serious leader tone taking over from my previous playful tone I had went talking to Veronica. 

"Well, I'll have it transported to an army base. See what they can do about it." Ross started, clasping her hands behind her back and started to pace in between the rows of tables in the long, slender room of the mess hall. Veronica and Tana had moved to stand on either side of me, like we usually do in most situations. "For now, you all have a new assignment." Ross told us, earning quiet praises or groans of despair. Ross stopped for a brief second, taking a look around the room at all 247 girls of the group. We were a small group in desperate need of new recruits, but the war has seemed to have gotten in the way of that. Many women had to stay home and care for the house and kids while their husbands fought, leaving us dwindling. 

"The Japs are making their way into south pacific islands to cover and gain more ground. They don't seem to be stretching too thin, but if we step in, we might be able to do some damage before our marine boys go in for the kill." Ross explained, beginning to pace again. "Forget about Europe and the Nazis. The Pacific and the Japs are our only priority right now. Roosevelt has ordered we get to an island before the Marines do. Do enough damage, we can leave before they even arrive." Ross continued. We all listened intently, the feeling in the room stiffening like a noose around a neck. 

"We will be dropping onto the island of Guadalcanal. Hopefully, before the Japs get there. I'll keep you informed if the plan changes. For now, enjoy your dinner. We begin training practice again tomorrow at 0600. That will be all." Ross concluded as we stood in attention. The three of us stepped aside so Ross could leave, but instead she stopped in front of me. 

"June, walk with me." she demanded. I followed her out of the mess hall and onto a dirt pathway leading to all the barracks and other buildings on the base. 

"So....Guadalcanal. Why the change?" I asked. 

"Roosevelt is sending a new parachute infantry to Europe. Said he doesn't need us. Instead, he wants us to drop onto a pacific island covered in trees." She told me. We were a test run for parachute infantry. The only reason airborne divisions are dropping into Europe is because we tested it until we perfected it. "I'm not going to let you girls drop into a death trap. We're taking boats in. Storm the beaches like marines and go from there." Ross told me once more. 

"Did you tell the president of this plan?" I asked. 

"Nope." 

~

**Time Skip**

~

 We began training the next morning, bright and early as Ross requested. We ran, tested our physical abilities before going over game plans. Ross usually let me and the other lieutenants plan our attacks. She only gave us the direction, location and objective. How we attacked and when was up to us as long as we got the job done. 

Over the next few weeks, the sergeants lead the training and practices while myself, Lieutenants Jane McCullan, Barb Smith, Yvonne Atkinson, Tanya Oakland and Olivia Barnes made up game plans; focusing on both safest and most effective routes. 

"We could lay low in a hidden position. Wait until a Jap patrol comes along, scare them to death and when they bring their buddies along, then we do most of the killing and separating." Yvonne suggested. 

"We don't have time to sit and wait. Leave that for the marines. They have time to do this shit, we don't. Remember, we have to have this done before they get to the island. Which means, we have to separate the Jap militia and leave before the marines start flooding in on boats." Jane explained, crossing her arms over her chest and slumping back in her seat. 

"Why don't we separate. Find a Jap camp and attack from all sides and angles, but leave openings for them to run through, therefore, separating the Jap militia." Olivia suggested, pointing at different spots in our makeshift map on the table as she explained her plot. 

"I wish it was that easy." I mumbled. 

"What do  you mean?" Barb questioned, sitting up right in her chair. 

"We have 247 girls willing, ready and fit to fight. The Jap army probably has thousands of troops that can easily out number us and take us out before we do any extreme damage." I said, I slumped down in my own chair. "We can't split up or they'll pick us off one squad at a time." I said, letting out an exasperated sigh before taking a swig from my flask.

"June, we've done high risk operations like this before with less fighters. We can pull this off." Tanya told me. 

"With great loss, Tanya. I don't want to lose any more girls than we have to before we get any more recruits. Remember last time? How many of the 150 girls did we lose? 10? 20?" I questioned, my rage starting to boil up inside. "A high stakes operation like this requires more than what we have and can deliver." I said, calming down a bit, starting to give up. The others went silent. Until Yvonne spoke  up. 

"What if we got help." she suggested.

"From who? No one knows who we are." Barb reminded her. 

"I know some girls from back home in Chicago. Wanted to be in the army as something other than nurses but got rejected. If we get Ross to fly them out, we can train them in basic weaponry. Leave them as riflemen, leave the heavy stuff to the rest of us." Yvonne explained. 

"I know some girls from Dallas, too. I could round them up if we need." Jane added. 

"Alright, well that leaves us a couple days to find these girls, a few days to get them here and then three weeks, maybe two to train them before we send them to their deaths. How well do you think that'll play out?" Olivia questioned. 

"How many are we talking about?" I asked, curious.

"The girls I know formed an underground club, strictly to protect themselves since they lived in dangerous neighborhoods. Most of them have family in better neighborhoods. They can leave their kids in a good place and then come here. There has to be about 20, maybe 30 girls willing to at least try." Yvonne explained. 

"Housewives?" Tanya questioned.

"Yes, but these housewives are willing to risk their lives for their families. Isn't that what almost every man in America doing when they join the army or the marines?" Yvonne countered. 

"She's got a point." Jane stated. I sat silently thinking. 

"And how many from Texas?" Olivia asked. 

"At least 50, maybe a few more. They've tried training for the military, but never got very far. It's the best bet we got." Jane finished. 

"June? What do you think?" Tanya asked, turning to me. 

"That puts us up to over 300, that's still not enough to carry out this plan and ensure we all get home for Christmas." I stated. 

"June, this is a war. Not everyone is gonna make it home, at least not in one piece." Tanya said, placing a hand on my leg. "We all know how hard you work to ensure everyone makes it out safe, but somethings are out of your control. That's why we're the Howling Eagles. We do what no one else will and sometimes we have to pay for it. That's how war works." 

"But what if that's not how it has to be? What if we can change it?" I argued. 

"You're a believer, June. We admire you for that, but when the stakes are this high, you need to let go a little bit." Olivia told me, giving me the same sympathetic look Tanya did and still was giving me. Silence fell upon us for a few moments as I thought about this. I didn't want to risk anymore lives than I needed to. 

"I'll talk to Ross about recruitment. For now, you ladies join training. I'll join you soon after. We'll talk about the plan later." I said, standing up and turning to walk away. 

"Where are you going now?" Jane questioned, standing up out of her chair. 

"To get a drink." I replied, turning back around to face the group huddled around the small table. "Care to join me?" 

~

"Ross, we don't have enough girls to fight this operation. I need to know what you can do for recruits." I begged, standing in front of Ross who scribbled down messy notes on her clipboard. 

"June, I know you're worried about this operation, but you need to let me do my job, before I let you do yours. I'm trying to get these girls that Jane and Yvonne know wrangled up before our deadline." She told me, the wrinkles around her mouth moving and shifting with every word that left her. Ross was an older  lady, experienced the first world war young and moved on to help with the second. Despite being of German descent with a rather thick accent, Ross was well respected in the military units that knew of us, which wasn't much. 

"Ross, please. You must have some sort of back up waiting in some other hidden base somewhere in this country. I don't want to send my girls to this island with this many low numbers." I plead, waving my hands in front of me in a cloud of mass hysterics. I was known for talking with my hands when I'm trying to get something really badly. Ross had paused, looking me in the eyes with a sympathetic yet proud gaze. 

"June, you work too hard for this crew. You need to cut yourself some slack." Ross began before I interrupted her. 

"No, I need more troops." I repeated. 

"You need a break." 

"I want to fight in this war, I want to make a difference, Ross! Don't you see that? I want this crew to do great things, but I can't without more troops." I told her, raising my voice a little higher than usual, but not enough to make it seem like I was angry. 

"You remind me of Alexander Hamilton, June. You're determined, courageous, willing to put your life before your country and you have my respect forever because of it," she began. "but there's nothing I can do besides round up these girls Yvonne and Jane know and send them to you." she finished. I placed my hands on the front of her desk and let my head fall. 

"Ross....I know you have women in basic training in case anything happens to us. We get killed and not enough of us come home, you have back ups to keep this crew going. I've read the file, I know everything about Camp Commando and I am begging you, please, let them join us. That way I can guarantee you'll have enough girls coming home to continue this program even if us originals can't fight anymore." I gave my last plea. I feared looking up as much as I feared fighting this war with low numbers. I heard Ross sigh and set down her pencil. 

"I was afraid you would find out about them." she started. I looked up as she removed her thin-framed glasses from atop her nose and rub her eyes. "Those girls, are my last resort to make a difference in this country's military service. If I lose them, not only do _I_ lose this crew, but we _all_ lose this crew. We all say goodbye to the Howling Eagles and we say goodbye to adventure and freedom and say hello to oppression again." She told me, setting her glasses on her clipboard. I stood up straight, taking my hands off the table.

"Ross, you can trust me. Trust me that I will do everything in my power to bring the girls from Camp Commando home safe along with all the other girls. Just like I've done in previous disputes and battles." I told her, my inner patriot coming out. Ross sighed, picked up her glasses and placed them back on her face before picking up her pencil again. 

"I'll sign the papers to have them transferred. I'll give you everyone from that camp plus the girls from Yvonne and Jane- but under one condition." Ross began, piquing my interest more, only to have my stomach drop at the condition.  

"And what is that condition?" I questioned. 

"You accept the title of Captain upon your return to America." Everyone is told to play the cards you're dealt, and man, does Ross take that seriously. I've already been given a medal of honor in a private ceremony. Now they want me to be Captain of the Howling Eagles. I've rejected twice, but Ross and the president keep pushing. I hate that title. Lieutenant fit me just nice for the amount of work I do. I accept the title of Captain and I gain less work time with the girls, deal with more technical stuff like Ross does. 

"I knew that was coming." I groaned, placing my hands on my hips and leaning back a bit.

"Well....what will it be, June?" Ross asked, sitting back in her chair. I thought, and let out a sigh. 

"Fine. I'll accept the position of Captain upon my return to America in return for more troops to successfully complete this operation." I stated in an oath like format. 

"Wonderful. Now you join in training. I'll have your new recruits in by next Friday." Ross said, standing up. I shook her hand to signify the completion of our deal. 

"Great. I shall await their arrival." I stated before saluting, waiting for dismissal and leaving to go back to my barracks. 

 

**~End of Chapter 1~**


	2. You Call This Paradise??

**June's POV**

 

~

_**"July 18th, 1942**_

_**Location: Shipyard somewhere in California** _

_**0800** _

 

_**We ship out to the island of Guadalcanal today.  After begging Ross for new recruits, our ranks have gone from 327 to 519. Everyone is nervous, but we've gone over the plan at least a hundred times and I'm confident we all know it by heart. The new recruits from Texas and Chicago have fit in well with the veterans of the Howling Eagles and the new trainees from Camp Commando. We all have been training together for the last few weeks and I guess it's safe to say we are indeed prepared- physically- for what we face upon our arrival to Guadalcanal. Mentally, well that's a different story.** _

_**Victoria was promoted to Lieutenant and I've made her and Tanya my second and third in commands. Tana Banes has been promoted to Sergeant over the past couple weeks and I think she's fitting in well to her new position.** _

_**As for the old crew members, most of them have been promoted to Corporal while the new recruits remain privates in the rank. We've set up primary and back up martyr and machine gun teams, all trained equally in their parts and as riflewomen.** _

_**My only fear is that we don't make it back. If majority of us die on one of the Solomon Islands, Ross loses her job as Director and the Howling Eagles is disbanded forever.** _

_**Signed,** _

_**Lieutenant June Foster."** _

~

 

**Time Skip**

 

~

**Location:** **Guadalcanal, beach front.**

**~**

**June's POV**

~

We stormed the beach front to find it empty. We organized our things before beginning to troop into the jungle. We remained silent, Olivia and one of the recruits from Camp Commando- Lisa, I think her name was- tracked ahead of us, looking for any signs of Japs like foot prints, dragging in the dirt or shrapnel of any kind. The jungle seemed quiet, almost too quiet, considering there was supposed to be a war going on right now. 

Every now and then, we would crouch and hide in the tall grass while Jane and Tanya went over the map and compass to make sure we were heading in the right direction. Veronica and I held up the back, making sure no Japs ambushed us from the back, ending our entire operation less than two hours after our arrival. The heat and humidity was definitely getting to some of us by now. Not everyone was used to fighting in the jungle. I know I wasn't. I had opened the front of my shirt; I had wrapped my tactical jacket around my waist in such a way that it didn't snag or impede my movement. 

"500 women march through the jungle: Save the Marines less work." Victoria shook her head. "Won't see that on any newspaper headline." she finished, trying to move hair off the  back of her neck that was drenched it sweat. 

"You might, in the future." I told her, adjusting the rifle strap on my shoulder. 

"Yeah, probably not in my lifetime." She grumbled. 

"Not with that attitude." I stated, waving a finger at her like my grandmother always did to us kids. 

"You're so optimistic, Lieutenant." Ruby, one of the recruits from Chicago, said, looking up at the trees. 

"And?" I questioned. 

"And maybe that's the reason we're probably going to win this war: You're optimism." she concluded. Veronica and I chuckled a bit before everyone started kneeling down. I crawled forward a bit, looking for a signal from one of the Lieutenants at the front. When Tanya waved, I told Veronica to stay at the back while I ran up. 

"I'm sending a patrol out. We think there might be a Jap camp a few miles up. The rest of us will spread out along the treeline, dig in and wait for the patrol to come back." Tanya explained. 

"Ok, who are we sending?" I  asked. 

"Olivia and Jane to lead. Ruby, Tana, Lisa, Emma, Tina, Evelyn, Mel and Liz." She replied as Jane rounded them up and sending them forward with Olivia. 

"We'll be back, ladies." She said as they crouched by us and into the jungle. We watched until they were out of sight and the sound of their footsteps could no longer be heard. 

"I'll get the rest of them into the treeline." I told Tanya. She nodded and I turned to the group. 

"Dig into the treeline. Snipers in the trees." I repeated as I went down the line. "Do not fire unless instructed. Dig into the treeline. Snipers in the trees." Once I got back to Veronica, the message had made its way down and we were setting up in the treeline. The snipers climbed the trees and set up high enough they could still see the full ground view, but could hardly be seen from the ground. They were good like that. 

After a few hours, Lisa, Mel and Liz came running back to our position in a frantic matter. 

"What is it?" Tanya asked them as I stood up out of the tree line. 

"We found the Japs. We're set up a little ways away from their camp. If we move now, we can hit them at sun down." Mel explained. 

"You heard the girl, pack up, let's go!" I demanded as the others packed up, the snipers came down from the trees and we got back in our march formation. We followed the three until we reached what looked like a small valley. The rest of the crew stayed back while the rest of us crawled to the edge of the ridge to spy on the camp. 

"There can't be anymore than a thousand in this camp." Tanya whispered as I used the binoculars to scout out the rest of the ridge line. 

"Ok, Tanya, you take first squad to that clear spot over there. Olivia, you go to where those two trees collide with second. Jane, bring third around and set up 30 yards away from Olivia. Yvonne, bring Beta squad around to that archway over there by that road where the valley connects to flat ground. Barb, bring Delta squad around to where the river trails off over by Tanya. I'll bring Alpha squad closer to our position now. When it's over, move back to the beach where we landed." I whispered, pointing to their positions. 

"Got it." Tanya whispered back. 

"Everyone know their position?" I asked, giving the binoculars back to Barb and receiving a nod from them all. "Alright, I'll set off the  first flare went the sun sets below the horizon. That way, we still have a bit of sunlight left when we begin our attack. Now, move 'em out." I whispered and backed up from the ridge line. I waved the crew to head back into the jungle and once they were backed up, us Lieutenants followed and separated our squads. I let the others go first as myself and Alpha squad set up for covering fire if they were to be spotted. 

"Martyrs, set up back there. Snipers, in the trees. Silent and stealthy. Rifles along this post covering fire for the machine guns and on the flanks. I want two snipers, 3 machine guns and 10 rifles facing the back in case Japs want to ambush. If you need more, just shout when the time comes." I told them as Veronica kept an eye on the camp. The shallow valley was more wide than it was deep. Many Japs built layered huts going under ground level. I spotted trucks by the road and dotted along the camp. 

"Mel, over here." I whisper shouted before she crawled over. 

"Yes, Lieutenant?" 

"Grab a grenade launcher. When the flares fly, I want you to destroy as many trucks as you can so the Japs will be forced to flee on foot and we can track them down easier." I told her. She nodded and backed up. I turned back to the crew. 

"No smokes, no lamps, no fires until we get to the beach." I told them and the message traveled. Veronica and I kept eyes on the camp until the sun began to set.

~ 

"You got the flare ready?" I asked Veronica. She reached behind her and pulled the flare out of her pocket. I watched as the sun set below the trees. In a few minutes, it would set behind the horizon, leaving us a rough 45 minutes of light to begin our attack. I took the flare from her and used the binoculars to spot the others. Tanya was doing to exact same. Followed by the others. I put the binoculars away and made sure my rifle was close by. This close to the ridge line was more than a bit risky. One shot and most of us could be dead. 

I watched anxiously as the peak of the sun fell below where my line of sight ended. It was time. I let out a deep breathe before turning to the squad.

"Good luck, Alpha squad." I said before hitting the flare against the ground and letting it go up like a fire work. A specially designed flare just for us. I watched as the other flares went up and the Japs hurried to grab their weapons. 

"Open fire!" I yelled before firing my rifle at the closest hut. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mel blow up as many trucks as she could before retreating back to her machine gun crew. I continued to lay waste to the Japs below us as the other squads followed suit. We didn't need a whole lot of sunlight, the light given off by our guns was enough to last. 

Just as planned, the Japs begun to flee through the spaces of our positions. Our flanking guns let the bullets rain on them as they ran away, our caboose guns finishing off as many  as they could before the Japs got away. A few more grenades went off, destroying huts, foxholes and tents as dead bodies dropped like flies in the winter. 

Within a couple hours, we were sure the Japs were either dead or far away from here as they could run. I set of the second flare, telling the other squads to split and rendezvous back at the beach where we landed. 

"Alpha squad, pack up and move out!" I ordered. The machine guns and martyrs packed up before following me through the jungle. We moved silently and stealthy through our original path to get here. 

"Bayonets on, half the crew." I whispered and the message was carried back to Veronica, who held up the back with a line of girls. I stepped lightly as the moonlight from the crescent moon above us lit up the night. We followed the treeline for safe cover, but a little deeper in than we were earlier. It was hard to believe that in one night, we managed to finish half our operation. 

When we got into complete cover of the jungle, we stepped a little lower and a little slower. We had no idea if the Japs had a back up plan for when a situation like this might occur so we had to be ready for anything. 

~

By the time the sun began to rise, the beach front was right in front of us. We stayed lined up throughout the treeline, no wanting to be out in the open. I had the guns pointing to the water, flanks and to the back where we came from. By 0600, Tanya and Barb had found their way to us and we teamed up to cover more ground along the beach line. Next was Olivia and then Yvonne and finally, Jane's squad. 

From there, we used the phone box carried by Jane's squad to call back to the ships out in open water than brought us here. Ross was waiting there for us and the only reason we called was to check in with her. 

"Yes, ma'am. No, we didn't have time to count the bodies. Yes, ma'am. Will do, Ross. Tanya, out." I heard Tanya call over the phone. "Ross said to follow the river in land for about 10 miles and then scope out the area. If it seems clear, we keep moving until we see any sign of the Japs. Then turn back. Planes will fly over head, both American and Jap, but Ross said they should only be dropping anything on the airfield so we are to steer clear of there. Ready to move out when you are, June." Tanya concluded. 

"Alright. We'll sit and rest. Get some chow in you. We'll move out in an hour." I told them. A few fires were started to heat up the cans of food we were sent with. I sat, ate and watched the ominous clouds roll in. 

"Everyone has eaten, June. We should move out soon." Barb informed me. I nodded as our medics picked up our cans and utensils. 

"Have everyone prepare the rain gear. Pack up the rest of the gear and be ready to move in 15." I said, staring out onto the open water. 

"You got it." she said, snapping her fingers and pointing finger guns at me before going back to the crew. 

"Ladies, get your rain gear out and ready. Protect the ammo, martyrs and machine guns as top priority." She called out. I grabbed my rain coat and packed up my pack and the musette bag with rifle ammunition. I put on my rain coat that covered my pack and the musette bag before placing my helmet back on my head. 

Before long, Tanya and I were back to leading the crew through the jungle, except this time it was along a river. It made it easier to make sure the girls were well hydrated, which often boosted their readiness to fight. There was no talking among our group which made the only sound the rumbles of thunder over head. I paused and held up a closed fist. I heard the rustle of rain coats as they knelt down. I watched the sky as dark clouds moved above us. 

"Tanya, how far till the beach?" I asked before a bang of thunder seemed to shake the air around us. 

"About two miles. We've made good time for today." She answered, pulling out the map and compass. I lowered my gaze to the jungle trees and the rushing waters ahead of us. 

"Once we make three miles, we can find a place to set up along the river." I announced before looking back at Tanya. "And maybe put the map away before the rain starts." I said with a cheeky smile. Another thing I did to bug her. Once she had the map and compass away, I waved at the rest to follow. We still relied on stealth and silence so our foot steps were soft and we avoided any lone sticks, twigs or loose rocks that may give off a sound. By the time we reached 3 miles down the river, the rain had begun, aiding in our trench building and digging. I had set up small squads for look out along the river and into the trees. We stretched along for 30 or 40 yards before beginning to cover some trenches with tarps to help slow the pace of flooding inside. 

"There seems to be more rain than back in America. Build up dirt ridges around the tops over your fox holes, slow the run off." Barb instructed as we dug out the foxholes and used some of the mud and vegetation to build ridges and barriers, similar to that of sand bags. Tarps and tree leaves were used to cover some of the trenches and foxholes. We cut down smaller, skinnier trees as supports or frames. 

"Cover the ammunition and keep it  off the ground. We can't afford to let it go to waste." I ordered some of the new recruits before jumping in one of the foxholes with a machine gun crew. 

"You guys get some chow before the night watches." I told them as the rain pounded the tarp above us. Hopefully, the sound of the pouring rain hitting our tarps and leaves didn't attract the Japs. The last thing we need is that. 

"Veronica!" I called somewhat quietly as I crawled out of the muddy and wet foxhole. 

"June." She greeted as she crawled out of the same situation. 

"I need you to carry a message to the rest of the crew." I told her while throwing my arm over her shoulder and pulling her with me as I walked farther into the tree line. 

"I need you to remind everyone of two hour watches. No smokes, no lamps, no fires. Do not fire unless fired upon first. We don't want to give our position away to early." I told her.

"Got it. 2 hour watches, light discipline, No shoot unless shot at first. Don't give away position." She repeated in simpler terms to help her remember. 

"You got it, now go, before the sun sets." I told her, patting her on the back of the shoulder before she ran off to carry the message. I walked over to the first few trees and looked up. 

 "You snipers doing ok?" I called up. A lone bullet hit the ground beneath each tree that held one of our snipers: a code used in case they are concentrating too hard on watching the line. What I didn't know, is that this time they had string attached to the bullet and their person so they could bring it back up. 

"Clever little snipers, you ladies are." I mumbled as I walked back into the treeline and Yvonne approached me. 

"Everyone is set up. We got cover on all angles, all the foxholes and trenches are dug out. We got cold food tonight, but depending on the events tonight, we may be able to light some fires for breakfast." She reported. 

"Wonderful. Dig in and wait for now. Hopefully nothing happens tonight." I said as we retreated to our trenches. Rain and mud had soaked our boots for long enough that we didn't notice it anymore, except for when we couldn't feel our toes. But the climate was warm enough we didn't have to worry about much for losing appendages and what not. 

I sat up most of the night thinking about the plan for tomorrow. We had some dirt from digging out our foxholes in sacks protected from the rain. Safety precautions we took to try and hide our existence was fill in what we dug out. When we leave, we try to hide any facts that we took down trees or took leaves, but sometimes it was hard. We didn't want to add to our carrying weight so we would probably make it seem like the Japs had stayed there and not us. We were only to be found out in extreme circumstances, and this was not an extreme circumstance. 

The rain would probably wash away our foot prints and help fill in our foxholes due to erosion. All we had to do was pick up our cans and not leave any gear behind. 10 times out of 10 do we erase the fact we camped in a certain spot, keeping our existence hidden from many and most military groups coming in after we're done our job and they start theirs. 

The next morning, we packed up as the rain dialed down to a spit and by the time we erased our presence, it had stopped. We kept our rain coats on to dry as some fires were started. 

"Eat up quick, ladies. We have a lot of ground to cover today. Fill up your canteens in the river, empty your bladders and bowels if you need. We leave in half an hour." Jane called out to reach everyone scattered along the river. I crouched down next to the river as the girls handed me their canteens. I filled up two at a time until everyone had fresh water. Some filled their canteens on their own, but as long as they had water I didn't worry about it. I scarfed down a can of...something...before washing out my can in the river and saved to be used as an alarm system at night. 

"Seven miles in 13 hours. If we find any sign of Japs, we turn back to the beach." Yvonne explained to the other lieutenants as I walked up. 

"That is unless Ross tells us otherwise." Barb mentioned. 

"And what if the phone doesn't connect this far into the jungle?" Veronica asked. 

"We'll worry about that when the time comes. It should connect. Ross said the ship was coming closer to the island, following the river as best it could without attracting the attention of Japs." Tanya informed us. 

"Either way, we just have to keep following this river. Worry about the rest later. The flow of the river is going towards the beach. We'll be fine." I told them as everyone else awaited instruction. 

"The river also gets deeper and wider from here. I think it splits off to the east and west at one point, but I think that the west side also leads to the beach." Olivia added. 

"Alright, let's get moving then." I said before turning to the women standing before us. 

"We have about 13 hours to finish walking seven miles. If we see any sign of Japs, we call to Ross and await further instruction. If we end up in the middle of a fire fight, we fight it out like we always do." I announced, earning proud nods from them. "Mostly noise discipline for the day. Keep the whispering to a minimum. The river gets wider, deeper and rockier as we go farther up the banks. Watch your step, follow the line and you'll be just fine." I told them. 

"Same formation as yesterday. Let's move out." I said as Tanya and I walked through the crowd to the front. We lead the group along the river, following the same one side as yesterday. We followed the river through every twist and turn it took through the jungle. Every now and then, we would stop for a break and listen for any signs of Japs. And then we kept moving. After walking just over four miles, our feet felt ready to fall off. But the feeling was soon ignored when adrenaline took over. 

"There seems to be a temporary Jap camp down the hill from the river. The river splits and goes west a bit, but the camp is straight ahead." Mel informed us as her patrol came back. We were stationed under the shade of the trees as we waved violently at the mosquitoes attacking our necks. 

"Good, Alpha squad and first squad will check it out further. Have the rest on high alert until we get back. Light and noise discipline." I told them as Tanya gathered Alpha and first squad.  

We crouched through the trees with Mel leading us to where the camp was. The river was gone. The crew was behind us. The only help we had was the person beside us. 

"It shouldn't be far." Mel whispered to us as we followed her motion of crouching lower. I held my rifle with white-knuckle grip until we reached the top of a hill. It wasn't steep- probably a 115 degree angle with the ground. There was no motion coming from the camp minus the few able bodied Japs. 

"It appears to be a partially wounded camp." Tanya observed with the binoculars. 

"Maybe those we wounded in our attack." I stated as I watched with my bare eye as one of the recruits from Chicago crawled up. 

"Or they know about our presence and are acting sick and wounded. Could be a trap attacking this camp and could be a trap leaving it be." she said before a gun shot went off. I looked over as her body went limp and blood started to pour from a hole in her forehead. 

"Get back!" I yelled as more gun shots came from the camp. In a frantic mess, we scrambled to our feet and away from the crest of the hill, hoping they would stop shooting once they couldn't see us, but that wasn't the case. The Japs had started to circle us. I shot at some of them as we all ran back to the rest of the crew, but they were also under fire. 

"Move back to the river! GO! Go! GO!" I screamed at the girls while shooting at the Japs running at us. I grabbed a few grenades from my musette bag and threw them through the trees. I ducked behind a boulder as the blasts blew pieces of wood and branches at me before I followed the rest of the crew, but by the time I started running, they were out of sight. I followed the river, knowing I would catch up until a few of them came into sight, giving covering fire in all directions. I stopped running and gave them covering fire long enough to get them behind me before running again. We made it to the part in the river where it separated and I thought we were clear considering the  bullets stopped firing from the Japs. We slowed to a walking pace. I stopped and looked back while they crossed the river. 

"That was definitely an ambush." one of the girls stated from the other side of the river. I scanned the trees for movement. 

"That had to be the  survivors of the camp we hit. There's no way they could have known we would be here." another added. I moved my gaze from the trees to the ground around my boots. 

"What do we do, Lieutenant?" another asked. 

"Head back to the beach. Rendezvous back  with the rest. If the Japs were smart, they wouldn't follow  us all the way to the beach." I told as I turned to walk towards the beach. I stuck one foot into the cold water of the river when the ground beneath me sunk and my foot was engulfed in the sand. 

"Ah, fuck!" I cursed as I tried to yank my  foot free. 

"Lieutenant, you alright?" one of them called. 

"I'm fine. Just stuck. You guys go ahead, I'll catch up, but if I don't, then don't come back, got it?" I ordered them. They all nodded before turning and  walking away. I reached  over to the shore where a stick lay half entrenched in mud. I moved it over to me and stuck it in the water and maneuvered it under my boot to push it  up. I pushed down on the stick and lifted my stuck leg until my foot was released with a loud smacking sound. I threw the stick into the water somewhere and stepped to the left- into the separating part of the river- to avoid getting stuck again; only to get stuck down to my knee this time.

"Motherfucker!" I cursed again. I was about to reach for another stick near by when an explosion went off, causing a tree to  start leaning towards me. I fell down to my other knee as panic began to set it. I quickly grabbed the stick nearby and ducked under the water as the tree fell. The top of the tree hit a boulder nearby so it didn't hit me, but it was blocking me from sitting up and getting air. The force of the flowing river was pulling me down stream but my  stuck leg was preventing me from moving with the  water. I stuck the stick near my leg  again and pried at the mud swallowing my  foot until my leg was released. I pushed myself away from the tree as the river dragged me downstream. I pushed up for air, but trying to control my breathing must have distracted me from the  fact that I was moving the opposite direction I was suppose to be going. I tried to stop myself in the middle of the river, but the force kept getting stronger and stronger until it slowed enough. I pushed myself to my feet and looked around. My rifle was gone and my musette bag was also missing. All I had was my canteen loosely hanging from my utility belt. If I was to get dragged down stream, it would definitely be gone. 

"Well fuck...." I muttered to myself as I put my hands on my hips. My boots were still tight, my clothes were still intact and I had my jacket still so if I was stranded for the night, I was covered. I began walking towards the split in the river in hopes of trying to hook up with my crew again, but after what seemed like half an hour, I was beginning to question if I was actually going the right way. Then it hit me: the only reason it was so easy to walk through the river was because I was walking downstream. I was walking farther away from where I needed to be. 

"You have got to be kidding me right now!" I screamed, only to hold my head in pain. I felt around my head for any wounds until I found one on the side of my skull. Not to deep, but still bleeding really bad. I knelt down in the river while it was still calm and tried to clean the wound and my hands. I still had my jacket which covered my sleeves so I didn't overly need the sleeves on my shirt. Plus, the heat would probably kill me so getting rid of sleeves would be best case scenario. I carefully stepped out of the river and settled along the bank, sitting on a tree stump that seemed to be too industrialized to be on this island. I got my jacket off my waist and took my shirt off after. I took a knife out of my boot and sliced the sleeves off and cutting part of the bottom off before pulling the shirt back over my head. My midriff was showing but at least it wasn't clinged to by the sweat-soaked material. I tied the two sleeves together before tying it around my head, covering the wound. I wrapped my jacket back around my waist and slid the knife back into its spot in my boot. I stood up and looked around the jungle. Going back to the fork in the river where the explosion went off seemed risky, too risky. If I followed the river and kept heading west, I could use the position of the sun setting to help me get back to the beach  in the south. Plus, I wouldn't waste my energy trying to fight the river. Knowing that the Japs are smarter than most Americans put them off to be, they would probably known by now that I was separated from my group and would be looking for foot prints in the sand or mud along the river so staying in the water seemed like the best option. 

I began my trek after filling my canteen and securing it on my belt. I kept watch of the sun, making sure I wasn't letting myself get too far in the wrong direction. I followed the river west until the sun started to set and that's how I knew I was still going west. I made a plan that when the sun began to set, I would start heading south into the jungle and find a tree to nest in for the night. And then in the morning, I would keep heading south to the beach in hopes of meeting up with the crew. Unless the Japs got me first, then I wouldn't have to worry about anything. Because how can you worry if your dead. 

After a couple hours of trekking through the jungle, I found a tree with a bundle of branches close together that looked like a good place to nestle for the night. It was high up with lots of green below it to provide cover from the ground. It wasn't easy to climb either. The tree trunk was large in diameter with such few branches on the bottom it was almost impossible to start climbing. In fact, it took me a couple jumps to even get started on climbing. Even then, I was practically jumping up the tree until I was about 15 feet off the ground and the branches got closer together that I could climb the rest of the way. 

Upon arriving in the spot I found, I nestled in and cut down some vines to tie myself to the branch so I don't fall out of the tree in my sleep. My head was starting to hurt again and I only had so much water for the night so as the sun set below the horizon and darkness enclosed the jungle, I figured it was best to swallow my paranoia and shut my eyes of the night. My survival instincts meant being a light sleeper, but when at home and not working, you couldn't wake me if a tornado ripped through. 

***

~End of Chapter 2~

***


	3. Salvation At Last!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think from here on out, most of this will be written in third person pov, but I'll try to label who the point of view is kind of following if it makes it easier for readers.

*******

**June Foster**

*******

 

Being waken up at dawn by the sound of distant gunfire was not something the young Lieutenant was used to. Sure it was her whole life and career, but she could never get used to something like that. One would have to be mentally deranged to ever get used to the sounds of war, let alone not flinch as the sound of gun shots. 

June cut herself free from the branch and began her descent. She knew she had to be careful since she didn't have a gun or any ammo with her. Also she had was a knife, but stealth was easier when you're alone. No one pins the blame to anyone else except themselves when they were alone. Especially in a situation like this where they found themselves surrounded by enemy Japs in the middle of the Pacific with no clue as to where the rest of the crew had gone or if they made it safely to the beach head. June worried about both of these plus some, but she managed to clear her mind enough to keep a knife in hand and step quietly, close to the ground and follow the sound of the gunshots. Within an hour, she had found the source: a gunfight between the Japs and whoever else spanning at least 50 yards in each direction from where June stood, dead center of where it all happened. She didn't hesitate to pick up a Jap gun and a belt of ammo and strap it to her body as she frantically ran through out the war scene, looking for a body count of Americans. To her slight relief, there had only been four casualties: Private Norma Fischer, Private Margot Beasley, Corporal Madison Gurth and Corporal Kelsey-Anne Schultz. To June's fortunate advantage, she only found the dog tags of the four women who died in the fight and trails that gave the impression the bodies were dragged along back to the beach. 

June took the dog tags with her, placing them in a secure pocket on  her trousers before following the drag marks in the ground, hoping to find her crew, only to meet more Japs. Except these ones were also dead and June found more dog tags hanging in a tree: Privates Louise Strider, Louise Smith, Jolene Walker and Rudy Glaseman, Corporals Ruth Smith, Genevieve Blothe, Jesibelle Marksman. This brought the body count to 11, which was much more than June had wished, but she had to remember the countless friends and family in her company that had told her there was simply nothing she could do. This was war, and war was brutal. War was petty old men who want nothing but control over another country and fought by scared, young boys against their will. Or in this case, fought by scared young women, but voluntarily. Women didn't have to fight in the war, but with this program, women had the paid option to fight, but weren't shamed if they didn't. 

June had started in this program when she was only 18. She couldn't live with her alcoholic parents any longer and instead of moving in with her grandparents, who were slowly withering away, she joined the military life and lived on the bases she moved between. She had known Corporals Kelsey-Anne and Jesibelle Marksman since they started their careers in service when June was promoted to Staff Sergeant in '39. She had trained those two women from nothing and was most proud of them considering they came from similar households that June came from. Not only had June promised to protect those two from harm, but she promised to protect the entire Company of the Howling Eagles as best she could, until her very last breath. And now, she was separated from her girls and her chance at going home. And she would for another week. 

-

After a week passed, she made it back to the beach only to find her girls and the boat that was suppose to get them away from the island had left. She was only sure when she circled the beach for miles, going back and forth between the ships neutral zone and seeing it nowhere. She even stole some Jap binoculars and scoured the coast line, only to see the Jap ships sail by for a couple days before one ship came closer to shore. That's when June got pushed back into the jungle, living off stolen rations from Jap camps and nasty river water that was probably contaminated with some virus she was bound to get sooner or later. 

June survived off of barely-there scraps until the beginning of August when she heard sirens from the airfield. American bomber jets flew overhead, bombed the airfield and left. June found high ground and saw American ships coming into the gulf, storming boats being deployed and within minutes, June watched as the American Marines stormed the beach, only to be met with nothing but their own men who stormed the beach the day before. After a few days, June managed to figured out that two or three groups of marines had been deployed to the island she was suppose to be off of by now: 1st and 7th regiment that she knew of. She had climbed down from high ground, creeped around fire fights and stayed out of sight until one night. She lost her Jap rifle, all her ammo and her knife along with her canteen. It was only a matter of time before she was caught by the Japs and killed or died of natural causes. Her head wound was healed and she has washed the scrap material in the river before she got hit in the leg the same night she lost all of her remaining equipment.  

By morning following the firefight, June was exhausted. On the verge of tears and losing her sanity faster than she could think, she tied her shirt material around the bullet graze on the outside of her left thigh. It wasn't major and she cleaned it out pretty good, but she was still stranded on this island. Finding a group of marines worth trusting was iffy, she would compromise her career and her company if she told too many people. She knew of one man who was leading a group of marines, but it was doubtful he would know her. She had only heard of him through military media and stories from Ross. She was so doubtful of trusting this man she became so lost in emotion that she let herself go. 

Sitting on the ground behind a tree, June pulled her knees up to her chest and let out a sob. She was less concerned about the Japs finding her now since she was losing her mind. June Foster was tough, didn't show her emotions unless she was frustrated or needed something from Ross, but now that she was alone in the jungle with her crew gone and probably thinking she was dead, June felt there was no other option but to sit...and cry. 

"Stupid Japs. Just had to make things worse, didn't you, you fucking monkeys!" she screamed. Anyone who knew her, knew she wasn't one to use derogatory terms unless she was provoked. Then again, no one was here to hear her insult the enemy like she had. June buried her head in her knees and continued to sob, often hitting her forehead on her knee a couple times as she muttered more things to herself. She was angry, sad, distressed, confused. She had pent up rage and energy yet she had no motivation to let it go. Instead, she let her guard down and cried in the jungle until she felt a little better than she  had been before. 

 _'All you have to do is find a group of marines, convince them you're on their side and get off this goddamn island. Chances are their boats are still here so you could probably just swim to the ships and hitch a ride away from the island as a stowaway.'_ June thought to herself in a sarcastic tone as her breathing slowed down to normal. Using sarcasm against herself was a coping method to deal with her anxiety she faced in situations like these. Wiping her eyes, June swallowed a jump in her throat before taking a deep breath. 

"Find the marines. Get off the island. Find the marines. Get off the island." she repeated softly to herself, pushing herself off the ground, using the tree behind her for support as she stood up straight, ready to go. "Find the marines." she repeated again, peeking around the tree. "Get off the is-" her words were cut off by a bullet hitting the tree just above her head. June fell back and hit the ground with a thud, hitting her head on the ground and leaving her stunned. She tried to push herself up off the ground in case it was a Jap before being kicked back down and held in place by a boot. Panicking, June put her hands up in surrender, knowing she'll have a better chance at survival if she faked surrender and ran off last minute. 

"You a Jap?" a deep voice asked angrily. June put two and two together and assumed the voice came from the same person that was holding her to the ground. 

"No...no...no." June croaked, trying to shake her head before the person used their foot to turn her on her back, holding their mud-caked boot to her throat. Instinctively, June's hands went up to the boot, trying to relieve some of the pressure going down on her windpipe. 

"Who are you?" the voice above her asked. June held a hand up, blocking the sun from her eyes as she saw a man with dark hair looking over her, his rifle pointed right for her face before moving her hand back to the bottom of the boot, trying once more to push up on the mans foot. "Who are you?!" he screamed at her as she struggled for air. 

"American...." she gasped. "I'm...American." she told him before he removed his foot from her throat, giving her access to air. 

"Bullshit." the man cursed before kneeling down, grabbing June by the from of her shirt in a threatening way. "What the hell is a woman doing out in the jungle anyway, huh? Riddle me that!" he taunted, leaving June close to no choice but to raise a fist to his nose, causing him to release her shirt. June rolled away, using a tree to stand up as the man recovered from the hit. 

"I'm not the enemy." She said, holding her hands out in front of her as if it was going to keep the man from attacking her. "I'm part of a secret military unit. I was dropped here some time in Jul-." she continued, only to be cut off by the man lunging at her, pushing her up against the tree and pushing his forearm into her neck again, rendering her efforts useless. 

"There's no such thing." He said, his rifle on the ground behind them, but a pistol in his hand. June struggled for air once more as she tried to bargain with the man, who was obviously a marine. 

"I don't expect you to believe me, but it's true. My crew and I were dropped her a while ago, pick off some of the Japs before the marines got here." she told him as she felt his arm move off her neck slightly, allowing for more air flow. "We got ambushed, I got separated from my crew. I'm not suppose to be here. Please, you have to believe me." She said in a plea as the man stepped back, allowing June to gain her footing once more. 

"What's your name?" the man asked, pointing the pistol in her direction, but picking up the rifle. 

"June. Lieutenant June Foster, Secret National Guard." she answered, pushing bits of her dark hair out of her face. June watched as the man thought for a second, not once taking his eyes off her. 

"You're coming with me. Chesty Puller's gonna want to have a word with you." he said, packing away the pistol and adjusting the rifle to sit on his shoulder as he dragged her into the open field by her arm. June noticed the frightening height difference between her and this marine, but what was more frightening was the small group of men waiting in the opposite treeline, their guns pointed at the two.

"Sergeant, who's this?" one of the men asked with a creepy grin, obviously no older than 24, and no higher ranking than Private.

"Patrols over, we're reporting back to Puller." the man said, dragging June along with him. June was only struggling to keep up because of the minor wound to the leg. "You two cover front, you two cover the rear." he ordered, pointing to four men and where he wanted them. The  four nodded as the group walked through the forest towards where a larger group of men where stationed, cleaning their weapons. The other men in the patrol group parted ways as two other Sergeants approached the two.

"What happened out there, Manny?" the one asked. June stayed quiet, observing the two men as they stopped in front of the two. Both of them were Sergeants and the tags on their shirts read _"J. Basilone"_ and _"J. P. Morgan"_ , and it was obvious they were friends with  the man who still had a tight grip on June's arm. 

"Where's Puller?" the man, who June assumed was called Manny, asked in an almost irritated tone, like finding June had made things more difficult to his schedule. The two couldn't even answer before an older man walked up, a pipe hanging out of his mouth and another young man following. By now, the six of them were in the center of the open area in which the group of marines seemed to be stationed. 

"Sergeant Rodriguez. Care to explain to me why you left with seven men and came back with a woman?" the older man asked, taking a good look at the exhausted Lieutenant. June recognized him immediately as Lieutenant Colonel Chesty Puller, the  man she had heard about from Ross a bunch. 

"Found her hiding in some trees. No weapons, no gear. Just a busted leg." Manny explained, letting go of her arm, but not before pushing her in front of him, leaving no escape. June watched with a nervous eye as Puller took the pipe out of his mouth and pointing it at her. 

"I recognize you." He said, his eyes widening a bit in surprise. "You're Director Ross's girl. June Foster isn't it?" he questioned, handing his pipe to the young man behind him. 

"Yes, sir." She said quietly, the nervous feeling going away a bit. 

"There's nothing to worry about here, boys. If this was a Jap you'd be in shit for bringing him here, but this here is no Jap." Chesty announced happily, gaining the attention of a few men around them. Rodriguez, Basilone and Morgan stepped back a bit, giving Puller room to approach her. "You and the crew were suppose to be gone weeks ago. What are you still doing here?" he asked, shaking June's tired hand.

"I got separated. Protocol was that they don't stay any longer than they have to." June explained softly, standing up a bit straighter, but her tired bones weren't having it today. 

"Sir, do you mind telling us what's going on?" Basilone asked, stepping in. Chesty straightened his poster, stepped beside June and placed an arm around her shoulders. 

"Men, this here is Lieutenant June Foster. She's part of an experimental military unit no one has ever heard of. That's how they work." he began, introducing June to the three men in front of them, but also catching the attention of the rest of the men in the area who weren't on watch. "Lieutenant Foster and her group of gals were suppose to arrive on the island long before we got here, wipe out some Japs and secure the beach for our arrival. Obviously they got the job done because we had a smooth storm now, didn't we?" he questioned, earning a collective 'yes, sir' form his men. 

"You look like hell." J.P. Morgan stated, his arms crossed over his chest. Without hesitation, Rodriguez brought his hand from his rifle and smacked him in the arm. 

"I've had worse." June stated, quiet enough only the three men in front of her and Chesty could hear, earning a chuckle from Puller and Basilone. 

"Basilone, why don't you go find the Lieutenant an extra pair of trousers while we find Doc to get that leg of yours fixed up." Puller ordered as Basilone nodded before walking off with J. P. leaving Manny Rodriguez to follow Chesty and the young Lieutenant to a tent where a young man was organizing some of his gear. June was almost stunned that Chesty Puller had welcomed her like he had, considering his entire unit knew nothing of her or her unit like  he did. Hell, she was surprised _he_ even knew about her like he did.  

"Ever since the attack last night, we've been stationed here until further notice." Chesty told the girl as she was sat down on a cot. The medic didn't ask any questions before immediately turning his attention to June's leg. "I'm not sure about contacting Director Ross for you, but if you're up for it, you are more than welcome to move on with us if you'd like. Just until we get off the island." Chesty offered and the medic pulled the material away from June's leg, causing her to wince before looking up at the higher ranking commander. 

"Are you sure, sir? You've already got enough to worry about with your own company." June said as the medic cut part of the trouser material away from her leg, exposing some dirt encased skin, but not enough to be indecent. June trusted her girls, 100%. June trusted Chesty Puller, approximately 50%. June did not trust the men though, -100%. Enough can go wrong travelling with a group of men and being the only woman. June wasn't ready for it. 

"Of course! I know your skills and I know what you can do. Believe it or not, but I know more about your organization than you think." he told her, sitting down on a stack of crates. "I wouldn't put you in charge of any platoons, but just to have you in my rag-tag group would be the honor of all honors." he told her. June opened her mouth to answer before closing it, thinking about the offer. "What do you think, Rodriguez?" Chesty asked, turning to the  blank-faced Sergeant standing at the entrance of the tent. He only shrugged as Basilone came in, a pair of trousers in hand. 

"The smallest pair I could find." he said placing them to the right of June before taking a spot in between Rodriguez and J.P. who had shown up shortly behind Basilone. 

"What do you boys think: Lieutenant Foster joins us for our remainder of our time here on the island?" Chesty proposed to the men, earning confused and surprised looks from the two. June looked down at the medic who was trying to stitch up the graze the best he could. 

"No offense, sir, but we did just find her in the middle of the jungle. Who knows how long she's been out here alone for." J. P. argued, giving the girl a sympathetic look. Chesty shook his head. 

"The Japs are probably took shook up to make another attack on us. Give her a few days to recover, she'll be good as new. Trust me, this girl has some incredible skill when it comes to field combat." Chesty defended  her like she wasn't present. Basilone and Rodriguez exchanged a look before turning to look at the girl, who was looking down at her boots, actively trying to avoid unnecessary eye contact. June wasn't one to let her pride show, but she was pretty good at fighting wars, if she did say so herself. 

"I don't think it's her skill that worries us, sir." Basilone said suggestively, which caused June's head to perk up. 

"I'm not an idiot, Sergeant. I was planning on what to do about that before you even got here." Chesty said blankly. "I figured I could stick her in with one of your squads. I know she can handle her own if she needs to." he continued as the medic finished stitching up her leg. "Come talk outside with me." Chesty said, pulling the three men out of the tent before the doctor turned his back, allowing June to change from the torn up trousers and into the ones Basilone had brought. Although they were the smallest size for men, they were still pretty big on her, especially the extra room in the crotch area she didn't fill up for obvious reasons. The medic had bandaged her freshly stitched wound so it sat under her new trousers, which were also as dusty as her old ones. When she was changed, the medic examined her for any other existing wounds, even checking over the condition of her head wound. 

"Considering you bandaged it up with pieces of your shirt, this one healed quite nicely. Shouldn't cause you any problems in the future." the medic told her before moving on to her arm where she had a rather deep cut across her right bicep she hadn't noticed until now. "Did you experience any memory loss when that occurred?" he asked. It took June a second to process that he was talking about her head wound and not her arm. 

"No. Just a headache." she answered. The exhaustion had made her reaction timing a little slow and it for sure wasn't the head wound. 

"Well, this cut on your arm is rather fresh. When did you think it happened?" he asked, rubbing the end of a stick around he cut. The stick was covered in some sort of blue substances, probably a disinfectant of sorts. 

"I don't know. Could have happened with my leg, could've happened when Sergeant Rodriguez found me." she said quietly, the pain in her leg numbing from the small dose of morphine she was given. It wasn't even half a dose of morphine either, more like just a pinch to make her feel better. 

"Well, I'll get it cleaned and bandaged for you. I doubt you'll have any problems with it." he said before grabbing more gauze and bandages. Holding the gauze to her arm while the medic wrapped a bandage around her arm, Rodriguez walked back into the tent, his rifle gone and instead replacement by a gear pack. 

"Looks like you're with my squad, little lady." he said, placing the pack beside her on the cot. "Just some extra gear we had hiding around. " he told her before leaving the tent like he was trying to avoid her. 

"He seems to like you." the medic stated sarcastically, tying the bandage and cutting the loose ends off. June hadn't really agreed to join the 7th Marines, but she was willing to go through what ever she needed to get back to her girls in one piece. 

"He probably thinks I'll just get in the way." June stated, standing up from the cot and picking up the bag left behind for her. "I don't blame him." 

 

***

**End of Chapter 3**

***


End file.
